every one that thirsteth that labours Jam. 4. 8. Draw nigh unto God and he will dnaw nigh to you Neh. 1. 11. They that desire to fear thy Name Psal 38. 9. 7. He adjourns the judgment upon Ahabs humiliation 1 King 21. 27 29. See 2 Chr. 12. 12. Exod. 1. 17 20 21. 8. He sends direction to such as are pricked to the heart and inquire after him Acts 2. 37 38. To the Publicans and Souldiers Luke 3. 8 10. To the Jailor Act. 16. 29 30. To Cornelius after a most eminent and extraordinary manner Act. 10. 1. to 35. 9. He gives persons of such study and inclinations satisfaction and a blessing Mat. 5. 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled See Luk. 1. 53. Mat. 11. 28. God is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. Arise therefore and be doing and the Lord be with thee 1 Chr. 22. 16. II. They do utterly deny that effectual grace whereby a man is converted is an unresistible power The Reason 1. Conversion is injoyned us as our duty and we are exhorted to it with promises and threatnings Prov. 1. 22. Ezek. 18. 30 32. Ier. 7. 3. Turn ye turn ye 2. 'T is a matter of Choice Deut. 30. 19. Jos 24. 15. Chuse whom ye will serve chuse life 2 Cor. 5. 20. Isa 1. 19 20. 3. The duty and the grace enabling to it may be neglected 2 Cor. 6. 1. Hebr. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Jer. 36. 6 7. Therefore we are admonished Hebr. 3. 7 8. Psal 95. 7 8. Harden not your hearts Some temper of minde better qualified See the 1. Negat 4. God requires our endeavours 1 by way of preparation laying aside the vail 2 Cor. 3. 15. prejudice John 7. 3. 4 5 52. ambition Iohn 5. 44. ch 12. 42 43. all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all superfluity of naughtiness See Act. 13. 45. Luke 16. 14. that we may with meekness Psal 25. 9 12 14. See Acts 2. 41. as new born babes receive the ministeries of grace Jam. 1. 21. 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. And as many as being in pursuit of the world to come were thus ordained addicted disposed to eternal life believed Acts 13. 48. 5. When being wrought into this temper and frame of spirit by Gods preventing grace we are fit for the kingdome of Christ Luke 9. 62. God requires our endeavours by way of cooperation to make his saving grace effectual which argues 'tis not an unresistible power Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the doore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door Which doore turns upon two hinges faith and obedience Rom. 1. 16. 1 Thess 2. 13. Ephesians 3. 17. Romans 6. 17. I will come in to him c. 6. That this grace is not unresistible appears further By Gods option O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me c. as above 7. He complains also of mens perverseness and contumacy obstructing the work of grace in themselves See Mark 6. 6. Isa 5. 4. What could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it Mat. 3. 15. Ezek. 12. 2. They have eyes to see and see not they have ears to hear and hear not for they are a rebellious house Isa 63. 7 8 9 10. But they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit Zech. 7. 10 11 12. But they refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their ears that they should not hear Yea they made their hearts as an Adamant-stone lest they should hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former Prophets 8. Some are captivated to the obedience of this grace whiles others stand out in rebellion against the power of it Act. 2. 41. ch 13. 48 with 45. Some gladly receive it others do thrust it from them contradicting and blaspheming See 1 Thess 2. 13. with 2 Thess 2. 10 11. Ezek. 3. 5 6 7. Thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech surely had I sent thee to them they would have hearkened unto thee but the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee Mat. 11. 20 21 22. Tyre and Sidon and Sodome would have repented but you will not Matth. 12. 41. The men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonas but you resist a greater light and force of grace behold a greater then Jonas is here 2 Cor. 2. 14 15 16. To the one we are the savour of life unto life and to the other the savour of death unto death 9. The Lord punisheth the refractary for resisting the work of his grace and spirit Heb. 6. 7 8. For the earth which drinketh in the rain and bringeth forth fruit receiveth blessing from God But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Prov. 1. 24. c. Because I have called and ye refused c. Zech. 7. 11 12 13. Therefore came a great wrath from the Lord. Iohn 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Ezek. 24. 13. See Mat. 13. 15. c. Acts 28. 24. c. 2 Chron. 24. 19 20. In thy filthiness is lendness because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee James 4. 6. God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble See the 4. and 7. Affirmatives III. They do utterly denie that God doth bestow grace sufficient for faith and couversion only upon those whom according to the decree of his Election he willeth to convert unresistibly and that he neither doth nor willeth to bestow on the Reprobates grace necessary to faith and salvation The Reason 1. Psal 145. 8 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works 1 Tim. 2. 3 4. He will have all men to be saved 2 Pet. 3. 9. He will not that any perish Mark 16. 15. with 20. Go preach the Gospel to every Creature and they went forth and preached every where the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signes following Isa 5. 4. What could have been done more See Mark 6. 6. Jer. 36. 6 7. Ezek. 18. 31. Why will ye die Ezek. 33. 11. As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked c. See the proofs for conditionate Election Administration of necessary and sufficient means and the seriousness of Gods call being the 7. affirm propos above 2. He threatens to withdraw his grace from men only for their stubbornness and rebellion against him and it Mat. 21. 41 43. Therefore the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you Rev. 2. 5. Or else I will remove thy
priests mouth Mal. 2. 7. Hence we have these Caveats not only take heed how you hear and what you hear but also whom you hear for many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 John 4. 1. and therefore try the spirits whether they are of God ibid. What need all these caveats and so much ado if the ministery of the word hath no influence or energie into our faith and regeneration and the work of grace in us Mr. Knowlittle But we see the Scripture every where ascribes the work of faith conversion and regeneration in us to the power and gift of God to Christ and to the Holy Ghost Mr. Takeo'trust The Scriptures do attribute to Almighty God that which he doth mediately by any of his creatures or Ministers Joh. 4. 1. Jesus is said to have baptized moe disciples than John yet in the next verse 't is said that Iesus baptized not but his Disciples See Iohn 6. 45 46. with Luke 10. 16. 2 Cor. 5. 19. 1 Thess 4. 8. Heb. 12. 25. Act. 5. 39. ch 7. 51. Though the ministery of the word be instrumental in the work of grace in us yet must we acknowledge the blessed Trinity the chief cause and author thereof and are bound alwayes to render them the honour of that efficacy that is wrought by this instrument because all the light force and efficacy which appears therein flowes from God alone and had not been in it at all if He had not as it were implanted it therein We have this treasure in earthen vessels as the Apostle in a like case 2 Cor. 4. 6 7. 2 Cor. 3. 3 4 5. Certainly there we have it and God associates what other divine internal aids he pleaseth with it Mar. 16. 15 20. Rom. 15. 16 19. To Him therefore we must ascribe the glory who hath annexed such an excellency of power to such otherwise weak and feeble instruments 2 Cor. 10. 4. Dr. Absolute Leave your wrangling Gentlemen that we may dispatch Mr. Tilenus one may or other Have any of you any more objections against him Mr. Indefectible He holds the possibility of the Saints Apostacy notwithstanding the decrees and promises of God to the contrary and concludes David's Adultery and Murder to be wilfull wasting deadly sins and inconsistent with the state of Regeneration so that should a godly man through the frailty of the flesh suffer the like infirmity he would be ready to discourage and grieve his spirit telling him he had forfeited his interest in Gods favour and lay under a damnable guilt liable to the wrath of God and the torments of hell and so in danger to bring him to desperation if he does not forsak his sin and mortifie his lust and bring forth fruits meet for repentance upon his admonition Mr. Narrowgrace Which was worse then that to my minde he flouted the Divines of the Synod saying if their doctrine were well improved it would prove an Antidote against the power of Death and teach a man how to become immortall even in this life Mr. Impertinent That slipt my Observation I pray' what was it he said Mr. Narrowgrace It was to this purpose If the Elect cannot be cutt off in the state of impâ—nitency notwithstanding they fall into most grievous sins then saith he let them abandon themselves to some horrid lust or course of impiety and they shall be sure to be immortal Mr. Indefectible But we know the Elect cannot do so They have a principle within them and a guard without them to defend and secure them from such courses They are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. There is their guard and their inward principle that inclines and moves them you have 1 Joh. 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Dr. Dubius Under Correction Sir I conceive man is never immutably good till he arrives in heaven As long as he converseth here below he is like other sublunary things subject to change Quod Angelis Casus hominibus mors The reason is besides temptations from without to allure and draw him He hath a twofold principle a new or an old man within him the flesh and the spirit in Con estation Gal. 5. 7. The flesh lusteth against the sp it and the spirit against the flesh This Conflict is in the regenerate And that he hath liberty to side with either of these parties and so to change I think cannot be denied He hath a liberty through Gods grace to side with the spirit against the flesh and hereupon he is exhorted to abstain from fleshly lusts to mortifie his earthly members and to walk in the spirit his liberty to side with the flesh is but too evident And therefore the words CANNOT SIN must be taken not Physicè but Ethicè Not for a natural impotency but a moral one he cannot do it Legally or at averseness of minde which notwithstanding is capable of being altered 'T is said of Christ sometimes that Id possumus quod jure possumus He could doe no mighty work Mark 6. 5. and so 't is said that the brethren of Joseph could not answer him Gen. 45. 3. And the Angel could doe nothing against Sodom till Lot were escaped into Zoar. Gen. 19. 22. See Ios 24. 19 21. And 't is usual in our common speech to say we cannot do a thing when the thing is not impossible to be done but only it is unlawful or inconvenient for us to do it If we set aside the inconvenience and step over the hedge of the law as many times we do we can finde power enough to do it And so it is here Therefore to that of our Saviour Mat. 7. 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit S. Hierome addeth Quamdiù in bonitatis studio perseverat as long as it perseveres in the study and love of goodnesse Thus he that is born of God whiles he acteth according to the nature of the principles of his new birth and studies to follow and resemble his heavenly Father He cannot deliberately yield to any kinde of sin Haec non admittet omnino qui natus è Deo fuerit non futurus Dei filius si admiserit saith Tertullian He that is born of God will not at all admit such sins as these he shall not be a childe of God if he doth admit them As for that guard you mention out of St. Peter They are kept by the power of God We must consider that we are to add a guard of our own to it as is required Jud. ep ver 20 21. But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost Keep your selves in the love of God And S. Peter addes through faith 1 Pet. 1. 5. The Psalmist saith Except the Lord keepeth the City the watchman waketh but in vain but he doth not say the
in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe Isa 53. 6. He laid upon him the iniquity of us all And Christ died for all for every man for the world for the whole world for the unjust and disobedient finally such 1 Pet. 3. 18 with the 20. for the ungodly for sinners for his enemies as was said above 2. Also for as many as died in Adam Rom. 5. 12 18. 1 Cor. 15. 22. As by the offence of one man c. 2 Cor. 5. 14. 3. For as many as are bound to believe in him as was declared above 4. For as many as are bound to adore and serve him 1 Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your c. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. with Rom. 14. 9. We thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that he might be Lord of all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them See Eph. 1. 12. 5. For as many as we are bound to pray for in Christs name 1 Tim. 2. 1 5 6. I exhort that supplications be made for all men For there is one Mediator who gave himselfe a ransome for all 6. For such as crucifie him a fresh to themselves Hebr. 6. 4 5 6. c. 10. 29. For such as deny him and finally do perish 2 Pet. 2. 1. See Rom. 14. 15. 1 Cor. 8. 11. II. They do utterly deny that the immediate fruit of the death of Christ is the actual pardon of sins or which is the same in effect that sins are pardoned unto sinners before they do actually believe in Christ The Reason Rom. 10. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness See Gal. 3. 22. Heb. 11. 6. But without faith it is impossible to please God Marke 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned Iohn 3. 18 36. He is condemnâ—d already the wrath of God abideth on him See proofes for the affirm III. They do utterly deny that Reprobates as some call them for whom Christ died not if there were any such are bound notwithstanding to believe in him and to believe that they are elected unto glory and that therefore those that believe not shall be condemned justly yea shall therefore be punished with more grievous torments by Almighty God The Reason 1. Iob 13. 7. Will ye speak wickedly for God And talk deceitfully for him Ier. 10. 1â— He is the God of truth Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 18. that cannot lye All his Commandements are truth righteousness and faithfulnesse Psal 119. 86 151 172. And Rom. 15. 8. Christ was a Minister for the truth of God and no lie is of the truth 1 Iohn 2. 21. 2. If we meet with false Prophets and dissemblers for all their fair speeches he bid us Believe them not Ier. 12. 6. Mat. 24. 23. Prov. 26. 25. 3. He denounceth grievous judgments against such Prophets as go about to induce the people to trust in a lye Ier. 28. 25. chap. 29. 31. 4. It is a sore judgement inflicted only upon the obstinate and refractory and therefore certainly no duty of them that are not such to be given up to such Errours 2 Thess 2. 10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness So that the God of truth and righteousness doth not binde men as a part of their duty to believe falshood much less punish them with more grievous torments for not believing it 5. Iob 8. 3. Doeth God pervert judgement or doth the Almighty pervert justice Ioâ— 34. 10 12. Yea surely God will not doe wickedly neither will the Almighty pervert judgement and ver 23. He will not lay upon man more then is right that he should enter into judgment with God The state of the Controversie touching the Universality of Christs death Whether Christ Jesus out of a serious and gratious purpose and decree of God the Father suffered that most bitter and shameful death that he might bring into favour with God onely some few and those formerly and in particular chosen to eternal life by an absolute decree or that he might merit and obtain reconciliation with God for all and every sinner without difference by doing and suffering those things which divine justice by sin offended did require to be done and suffered before he would enter a new gracious Covenant with sinners and open the door of salvation to them The decision is conteined in the former Assertions and Negations The Third and Fourth Articles Controverted which are touching the grace of God in the Conversion of Man What the Remonstrants hold I. THey hold that a man hath not saving faith of himselfe nor from the power of his own free will seeing while he is in the state of sin he cannot of himselfe nor by himselfe think or will or do any saving good in which kinde faith in Christ is eminent but must needs by God in Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost be regenerated and renewed in his minde affections will and all his powers that he may aright understand will and meditate and do that which is savingly good Proofs out of Holy Scripture Not faith or any saving good of himself c. Ephes 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darkness Rom. 7. 5. When we were in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Rom. 11. 32. God hath concluded all in unbelief Ephes 2. 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Phil. 1. 8 9. To you it is given to believe 1 Cor. 12. 3. None can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost who is therefore called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God Rom. 5. 6. For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly Iohn 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing Iohn 6. 44 45 65. No man can come to me except the Father draw him Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Must needs be regenerated c. John 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and this I say brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15. Iohn 3. 3 5. Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Tit. 3. 4 5 6. Not
by works of righteousness which we had done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour 1 Pet. 1. 3 23. The father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath begotten us again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God c. See Ezek. 36. 26 27. Renewed in understanding will affections c. Ephes 4. 23. Renewed in the spirit of your mindes Col. 3. 10. In knowledge See 1 Cor. 1. 4 5. Tit. 2. 11. Acts 26. 18. To whom I send thee to open their eyes to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 15 9. God through the Holy Ghost purifying their hearts by faith Heb. 9. 14. The blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit and the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly 1 Thes 5. 23. To do that which is savingly good c. Mat. 7. 17 18. and chap. 12. 33 34 35. Make the tree good and his fruit good Rom. 6. 22. But now being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life See verse 18. II. They hold that the grace of God is the beginning proceeding and fulfilling of all good so as even the regenerate man himself without grace preventing exciting following and co-working cannot think will or do good or resist any temptation to ill so that the good deeds and actions which any man can conceive are to be ascribed to the grace of God in Christ Proofes out of holy Scripture That the grace of God is the beginning c. James 1. 17 18. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above John 8. 36. 2 Cor. 4. 6. If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed 2 Cor. 3. 17. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie Phil. 1. 6. chap 2. 13. It is God which hath begun a good work in you which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Heb. 12. 2. The author and finisher of our faith 2 Thes 2. 14. Whereunto he called you by our Gospel See verse 15 16 17. 1 Pet 5. 10. c. 2 Pet. 1. 1 3 His divine power hath given us all things that pertain to life and godliness Or resist any temptation to ill c. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the evil day Ephes 6. 13. Watch and pray c. Mat. 26. 41. Lead us not into temptation Mat. 6. 13. The good we do to be ascribed to the grace of God c. 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the grace of God I am what I am Gal. 2. 20. The life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope c. 1 Pet. 5. 10 11. But the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen See Rom. 1. 8. 1 Cor. 1. 4 5. Ephes 1. 3. c. Rom. 16. 25 26 27. Rev. 1. 5 6. III. They hold that to hear Gods word to be sorry for sin committed to desire saving grace and the spirit of renovation nothing of which notwithstanding can a man do without grace is profitable and needful for the obtaining of faith and the spirit of renovation Proofes out of holy Scripture St. Luke 19. 13 Negotiamini dum venio Trade till I come for whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance Luke 19. 26. See Mat. 13. from v. 10 ro 17. Iohn 6. 45. See Luke 16. 11 12. chap. 19. 17. Every man that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by hearing Acts 17. 11 12. They of Berea received the word with all readiness of minde and searched the Scriptures Therefore many of them believed Iohn 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrin whether it be of God See Psal 25. 12 14. Psal 111. 10. Prov. 1. 7. 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation See Acts 2. 37 38. chap. 16. 29 30 Prov. 2. 1 2 3 4 5. If thou wilt incline thine â—ar unto wisdome and apply thine heart to understanding If thou seekest her as silver Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord Prov. 8. 17. I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall finde me Luke 11. 13. Your heavenly Father will give the spirit to them that ask him See the example of Sergius Paulus Acts 13. 7 12. Especially that of Cornelius Acts 10. 1 2 4 5 34 35. See also Gal. 3. 24. Prov. 3. 32. Iob 28. 28. 2 Tim. 2. 21. James 1. 21. 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. See the reason of the Negative following IV. They hold that effectual grace whereby a man is converted is resistible and though God doth so work upon the will by his word and the inward operation of his holy spirit as that he gives both power to believe and supernatural abilities and makes a man actually to believe yet can man of himself despise that grace not believe and so through his own default perish Proofs out of Holy Scripture Ezek. 11. 20. compared with the 21. verse I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh That they may walk in my statutes and keep mine Ordinances and do them But whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations I will recompense their way upon their own heads Mat. 11. 20 21 22 23. Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not Woe unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloath and ashes And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this day Ezek. 24. 13. I have purged thee and thou wast not purged Acts 2. 41. They that gladly received his word were baptized 1 Thes 2. 13 19. See v. 19. Acts 11. 21. Ye received it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe See Rom. 1. 16. Acts 13. 46. 48. Luke 14. 16. c. Mat. 22.
non veró à consilio ac voluntate libere agente dependet Atqui decretum Dei est actio à consilio voluntate Dei liberè agente dependens Ergo decretum Dei non est Deus XXX A natura verò Dei ut causae efficientis decreti altera etiam invicta demonstratio promanat Deus est ens absolutè necessarium Decretum Dei non est ens absolutè necessarium Ergo decretum Dei non est Deus XXXI Ex quibus etiam ut alia omittamus clarissimum aeternitatis Dei decreti discrimen elucet Nam ut Dei existentia sit aeternitas ejusdem absolutè necessaria est Contra verò et decreti existentia à causa liberrimè agente dependet sic ejusdem aeternitas merè arbitraria est ut quae sic est ut non esse potuerit quemadmodum ex superioribus constat Ideoque decretum non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu eadem prorsus ratione qua Deus sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aeternum appellatur Ac propterea ex eo decreti deitas non firmatur sed evertitur XXXII Neque tamen essentiae divinae simplicitatem qualem Sacrae literae ei attribuunt ideo violari si non omne quod in Deo est sit Deus ex actionibus personalibus generatione Filii à solo Patre spiratione Spiritus sancti ab utroque evincitur XXXIII Eas enim sic in Deo esse ut tamen illaesa illius simplicitate non sint Deus sole clarius apparet Essentia enim Dei absolute ac simpliciter communis est tribus personis contra verò actio personalis ut generatio silii non est absolutè simpliciter communis tribus personis sed propria certae Engo actio personalis non est essentia Dei Deinde Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praedicatur de singulis personis divinis actio personalis Dei non praedicatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de singulis personis divinis Ergo ea non est Deus XXXIV Ideoque mirandum non est si liberrima voluntatis Dei in rebus futuris pro arbitrio determinandis actio in Deo sit nec tamen sit Deus Idque sanè non ignorasse Clar. Ursinum apparet ex Catechesis explicatione ad quaest 58. de vita aeterna quaest 1. etsi minus accuratè exponere videatur In the mean time if there be in any one word of this address more asperity than I ought to use or your self can well digest I desire you to pardon it for Gods honours sake which I am zealous to vindicate from that foul impeachment which something more than a mere jelousie prompts me to believe your opinions guilty of Nevertheless to conclude with the words of the great Apostle whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us minde the same thing Endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Phil. 3. 16. Eph. 4. 3. I have two things which I must yet begg of you upon the score of our old friendship viz. the continuance of your affection and your prayers which I l'e assure you how freely soever you lay them out they shall not be cast away upon Sir Your true and faithful friend N N. The Printer to the Reader THE absence of the Author and his inconvenient distance from London hath occasioned some escapes in this first Discourse and the two Tracts annexed The Printer therefore thinks it the best instance of pardon if his Escapes be not laid upon the Author And he hopes they are no greater then an ordinary understanding may amend and a little charity may forgive The Examination of Tilenus before the Triers in UTOPIA DR Absolute The great prudence anâ— pietie of the Governours of this Common-wealth considering how apt the people are to be influenced by the principles and examples of their constant Teachers have been pleased out of an ardent zeal to God's glory and a tender care of men's pretious souls to think upon a course how their Dominions may be made happy in the settlement of an able and godly Ministery amongst them for which purpose they have appointed Commissioners to examine the gifts of all such as shall be imployed in the office of publick preaching And seeing you have addressed your self to us for our approbation in order to your Establishment in that office we hope you understand the nature and weight thereof You are to be a Pastor not of beasts but of reasonable Creatures fram'd after God's own image and purchased with his blood Having undertaken this cbarge 't is incumbent upon you to watch for those souls under your inspection as one that must give an account and what shall perish through your default will be required at your hands And that we may not be sound betrayers of the great trust reposed in us we must receive some satisfaction how you stand qualified for the carrying on so great a work as you pretend to be now calâ—ed unto And because it is to be suspected that he who hath been so regardless of his own soul that he is not sensible of the work of grace in himself will not be very zealous in his indeavours to procure it to be wrought in others therefore let us be informed in the first place what assurance you have that you are in the state of grace Tilenus Sir I trust you shall find that I am no Reprobate Dr. Confidence Methinks you speak very doubtfully Tilenus Sir I humbly conceive it becomes not me to be too Confident when the modestie of the great Apostle was content upon occasion with the very same expression which I used 2 Cor. 13. 6. Mr. Efficax But can you remember the time and place when and where that work of grace was wrought in you By what means and upon what occasion Tilenus I suppose they are violent and suddain changes only from one extream to another that fall under such a punctual Observation Had I with Mary Magdalen been so notoriously lewd as to make the City ring of my crimes or had I travell'd with a design of blood as Paul did and procured a Commission to execute it upon the Church of Christ my Conversion if sincere in that case must needs have been very remarkable Or had I committed Adultery and then tempted the injur'd party with so much artifice to cloak it and because I could not with all the wicked charms of intemperance prevail to induce him to it deliberately contrived and commanded his murder or had I though upon a surprize so passionately denied and forsworn my Lord and Master as you very well remember who did the solemnitie requisite to attend repentance for such offences would have made as deep an impression in my memory as the frequent inundation of tears did in those transgressors cheeks and there would have been no need of red letters in my Kalendar to render such a time Observable with me But blessed be God! by whose
providence it was that being dedicated to the service of Christ in mine Infancy the Piety of my Parents took an early care that I should not be alienated from him through the allurements of the world for want of a religious education and from a childe having been acquainted as Timothy was with the holy Scriptures which are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus herein I have exercised my self through the assistance of his grace to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men Mr. Narrowgrace You speak as if regeneration came by nature and education Tilenus No Sir to say regeneration comes by nature were a Contradiction Mr. Takeo'-trust Do you not remember what the Apostle saith Rom. 3. 23. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God And Ephes 2. 1 2. We are dead in trespasses and sins and are by nature children of wrath Can there be so great a change wrought in a man as is a change from death to life and he have no apprehension or feeling when such a change is wrought in him Tilenus When I reflect upon the exuberance of the Divine grace under the Gospel I perswade my selfe there is some difference betwixt Christians born of faithful and godly parents and from their childe-hood educated and instructed in the wayes of faith and pietie I say we must make a difference betwixt these and those Jews and Gentiles of whom the Apostle speaks before they were made Christians I know you will not allow Heathens to stand in Competition with the servants of Jesus devoted to him from their very infancy neither is the law and discipline of Moses an equal standard to measure the dispensations of the grace of Jesus Christ by and yet if you consider Zacharie and Elizabeth who were trained up under the Pedagogie of Moses and date their practice of Pietie from their youth * See 1 King 18. 12 as you ought to do for why should we make an exception where God makes none You will finde that being righteous before God and walking in all the Commandements and ordinances of the Lord blameless S. Luke 1. 6. they were not capable of answering your question When and where and how the work of grace was wrought in them Now if the ministration of Moses which was in comparison a ministration of death was thus glorious how shall not the ministration of Christ which is the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious 2 Cor. 3. Under the Gospel that Covenant is fully accomplished wherein God bound himself to Abraham by the sacred tie of an oath to grant us a power to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our life S. Luke 1. 74. And the conveyances of this powerful grace being all put so freely into our hands this word and Sacraments it is required of us as a duty to have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12. 28. and doubtless 't is only our own inexcusable fault if we have not for indeed be it spoken with holy reverence the administration of our sacred baptisme were not better than a piece of solemn Pageantry if grace were not conferr'd upon us in receiving that Sacrament for therein are begg'd on our behalfe the blessings of Christ grace and pardon with the renewing and assistance of the holy spirit These the Church by prayer seeks for on our behalf by vertue of that Covenant wherein God hath promised and engaged himself to bestow them which promise be for his part will most assuredly keep and perform Then upon this we engage our vow to forsake the Devil and all his works and to keep Gods holy will and Commandements Can we think either that God in goodness or justice would require such an ingagement at our hands under peril of a greater condemnation or that the Church of God in prudence could oblige us to undertake it without good assurance of sufficient assistance and power from his gracious spirit to inable us to perform it according to the tenour of the Gospel Mr. Fribabe It seems you are for universal grace and you hold that all the children of the faithful dying in their infancie and before they have the use of reason are saved by vertue of that Covenant made Isa 49. 8. Heb. 13. 20. with us in the blood of Christ into which they are consigned at their baptisme as if all such were invested with some priviledge to exempt them from the absolute decree of reprobation Tilenus This Sir is the faith into which I have been baptized and catechized for I am taught to profess that in my baptisme I was made a member of Christ a childe of God and an inheritour of the Kingdome of Heaven Mr. Knowlittle But you know that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12. 14. Tilenus That I very well remember but withall I consider that besides that federal holiness which removes all obstacles in the children of the faithful and renders them recipients duly qualified for the Sacrament I am instructed in my Creed to believe in God the Holy Ghost who sanctifieth me that is if I do not resist his work and quench his motions and am further directed to beg by diligent prayer his special grace to inable me to discharge my duty to God and my neighbour which grace if I be not wanting to my duâ—y I have reason to assure my self of upon the strength of our Saviours promise S. Luke 11. 13. The short is Baptisme being stiled the laver of regeneration Tit. 3. 5 6. And the children of the faithful being in no capacitie of putting a bar against the efficacie of it the learned Davenant one of the Divines of the Synod of Dort concludes that therein they are truly justified regenerated and adopted and by this means a state of salvation is conferr'd upon them suitable to the condition of their infancy and arriving to the use of reason if they walk in the strength of the Divine grace under the command and conduct of the Holy Spirit and fight under Christ's banner as generous souldiers ingaged by solemn covenant and armed with assistance from above to that purpose should do we are assured that sin shall not got the dominion over them Rom. 6. 14. for he is greater that is ingaged in them for their assistance then he that is in the world against them 1 John 4. 4. Whereupon the same Apostle is confident to conclude c. 5. v. 18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not Mr. Knowlittle You speak as if a man might live without sin and so be saved without Christ Tilenus Sir I believe it is the duty of the children of God and therefore possible to be blameless and harmless without rebuke shining as lights in the midst of a crooked and
them into any schisme or heresie I choose therefore to follow the Apostles Catalogue and if I can find that in my self I hope I am safe the fruit of the spirit saith he is love joy peace long-Suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no law Gal. 5. 22 23. That is as I conceive the love of Christ in sinceritie as 't is Ephes 6. 24. which sinceritie discovers and approves itself in a constant and uniform observation of all his Commandements Iohn 14. 15. Mr. Efficax How did the spirit of God bring forth these fruits in you if you finde them Did you ever feel it offer a holy violence to your will and affections so that you were not able to resist the power of it You have read how Paul was surprized in the height of his rebellion his spirit subdued and forced to yield and he cast down to the earth in great astonishment Tilenus Though I have intimated mine opinion in this particular already yet I shall adde that the conversion of St. Paul was not according to the common way and rule but extraordinary in regard whereof he may very well stile himself an abortive 1 Cor. 15. 8. for the ordinary course is not for the Kingdome of Heaven to offer violence to us and take us by force but for us to do so by it St. Mat. 11. 12. Mr. Efficax You speak as if the grace of conversion were resistible and so you would make man stronger than God but the Apostle tells you that God exerts and putteth forth a power for the conversion of a sinner equal to that which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Ephes 1. 20. And indeed there is a necessitie of such a power for the accomplishment of this work because the sinner is as a dead person dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 1. Tilenus T is a rule we have learned in the schools that Theologia Symbolica non est argumentativa Metaphors never make solid and cogent arguments Sinners are like dead men but no like is the same If they were absolutely dead then it were impossible for them to make any opposition or resistance at all to any the least dispensation of grace Resistance implies reaction but the dead have no power at all to act and yet t is acknowledged that the sinner hath a power to resist and doth actually resist but that which is maintained generally by that side is that the power of grace is so prevalent and invincible that at last it will subdue and take away the resistibilitie of mans will And therefore man is not dead in every sense We finde him sometimes resembled to one halfe dead Luke 10. 30. Sometimes to one asleep Ephes 5. 14. so that you cannot certainly infer the conclusion desired from such figurative expressions Besides Ephes 1. 20. speaketh of Gods power towards those that were already believers not of his power that works belief in them Mr. Impertinent 'T is said of those that disputed with Stephen Acts 6. 10. That they were not able to resist the wisdome and the spirit by which he spake Tilenus He speaks of that conviction which the force of his arguments dictated to him by the Holy spirit made upon their understandings so that they were not able to answer him in disputation but he speaks not of any irresistible impression that the internal Divine grace made upon their wills for there was no such effect wrought in them as appears in the following verses but rather the contrary as you may conclude from St. Stephens word Acts 7. 51. Ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Mr. Efficax By resisting the Holy Ghost there Stephens meaning is that they opposed the outward Ministerie which was authorized and sent out by the holy Ghost Tilenus The words are plain in themselves and so they are literally clear against you but that this Evasion may not serve your turn we finde the word and spirit both together Zach. 7. 12. Yet 't is said they hardened their hearts like an Adamant and resisted both Esa 63. 10. But 2 men may do resist that power of Divine grace which doth effectually and eventually convert others yea a greater power than that which doth it Luke 11 32. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgement with this generation and shall condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Ionah and be hold a greater than Ionah is here And as much is implied in those other words of Christ Mat. 11. 21. Wo unto thee Chorazin wo unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloath and ashes Those Heathen cities would have been wrought upon by these gracious dispensations but you to whom they are so freely and earnestly administred do resist them And why should our Saviour work so many miracles to their senses to induce them to believe and be converted Ad quid perditio haec Why so much pains lost For if that had been the way that one Superlative miracle the irresistible operation of internal grace had superseded the necessitie of all others and made them utterly superfluous Mr. Impertinent what say you to that text in Luke 14. 23. Compel them to come in doth not that imply an irresistible power upon them Tilenus This place in St. Luke speaks of a charge given to a Minister whose office it is to call invite and importune to say nothing that it is part of a parable and I remember even now when you were urged with that in Acts 7. 51. ye alwayes resist the Holy Ghost then you could alledge that that was spoken concerning the outward ministery of the word which you confest might be resisted but now you produce a text your selves which though it doth most evidently belong to the outward ministery yet because it hath the word compel in it and will serve your interest it must needs signifie irresistible So that in the Acts the Holy Ghost must according to your interpretation signifie the outward Ministery and that must be the only thing resisted but in St. Luke the outward Ministery shall signifie the inward working of the Holy Ghost and that shall be irresistible Mr. Efficax The Apostle saith It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Tilenus The Apostle doth not say that God doth this immediately and irresistibly for if he did that would evacuate the force of his exhortation which is both a mean and swasion to the duty of working out our salvation c. for the inforcing whereof that is rendred as the reason which is the cord of a man He speaks not of the means see 1 Pet. 1. 22. 1 Cor. 15. 10. or manner of Gods working and that he works the abilitie I grant but not the very act it self of our duty which if he did it would be his
a wicked Christian I desire therefore in the next place that you would make proofe of your discipline upon Tilenus Carnalis Mr. Fatalitie Herein methinks I should make no great difficultie to prevail if the power of reason can but fasten upon your understanding or the tie of religion upon your conscience or the sense of gratitude upon your heart and affections Do but reflect upon those obligations which Almighty God hath laid upon you in your Creation and Redemption He hath a fair title to your best obedience by right of dominion in regard of that excellent nature and being he freely conserr'd upon you but a stronger title if stronger may be by the right of a deer purchase made by no lower price than his own blood These obligations as common equitie hath drawn them up so with respect to the benefit that would accrew to you hereby your own ingenuitie hath drawn you on to subscribe and seal them You have been solemnly devoted unto God and listed a sworn souldier under the Banner of your Redeemer Are you under his pay and fight against his interest Do you wear his livery and eat his provisions and expect his reward and yet spend your time and strength and talents in the service of his mortal enemie How execrable is the sacriledge of this ingratitude and rebellion Remember it will not be long ere the justice of God send 's the trumpet of the Law which will be so much the shriller if it be sounded by the hollow lungs of death to give your now-secure Conscience a hot alarum and when you are once awakened with the terrour of those dreadful threatnings you will be amazed at the horrour of that apprehension when you shall behold all those shoals and swarms of sin you are guiltie of muster'd up in their several ranks and files to charge and fight against you for the momentarie and trifling pleasures whereof you have so improvidently forfeited all the comforts of a good Conscience and refreshments of the Holy Ghost with your portion in Heaven and your interest in Gods favour in exchange whereof like a foolish Merchant you have procured nothing but the coals of eternal vengeance and the flames of Hell which the crowds of your condensed sins have thrust wide open ready to swallow up and devour you unless you presently prevent it by an unfeigned repentance and universal reformation Tilenus Carnalis Sir I beseech you suffer not your zeal of a holy life to transport you beyond the rule of sacred truth lest while you pretend to honour God on earth you cast reproach upon his Eternal designs in Heaven I am jealous Tilenus Infidelis hath so disturbed your passions that you know not where you are for you have quite forgotten your Synod and your principles and I think your own name too and seem to have lost your Creed in your Commandements Recollect your senses and recal your wandring phantasie and awaken your judgement to consult the Oracle of your belief your Synod and speak accordingly for whatsoever is not of faith will be sin in you And is it not one of the Articles of that Creed which you profess that all the good or evil whatsoever that happens in the world doth come to pass by the only immutable and ineluctable decree of God and his most effectual ordinance That the first cause doth so powerfully guide and impel all second causes and the will of man amongst the rest that they cannot possibly either act or suffer sooner then they do nor in any other manner I am sorry I am no more master of my self and mine own actions that I am so divested of my libertie and carry a nature about me so debauched that I cannot chuse but suffer my self to be carried captive under the power of those sins that reign in-me but my comfort is I am assured by the judgment of such sound Divines as your self that the secret will of God which procur'd Judas's treason no less then Pauls Conversion hath so decreed it And you know it is not in my power to procure a writ of Electment to cast out that sin which came in and keeps possession by the uncontroulable order of the divine predestination I cannot get grace when God will not give it me nor keep it when he is pleased to take it away from me I have no Lure to throw out that the Dove of Heaven will vouchsafe to stoop unto the Spirit blows where he pleases inspires whom he pleases and retires when he pleases returns where he pleases And so if it comes with an intent to amend me it will be as impossible then to put him back as it is now to draw him on It were an intollerable presumption in me to make my self so much a taskmaster over the Holy Spirit as to prescribe him the time and hour when he shall effect that work for me whereunto I am able to contribute no more than to mine own birth or resurrection * Atque hec est illa tantopere in Scripturis predicata regeneratio nov a Creatio suscitatio mortuis vivificatio quam Deus SINENOBIS in nobis operatur Can. 12. art 3. 40. Synodi Dordracene I can affirm with confidence I never was so much an Atheist as to entertain the least distrustful thought of the divine power When he hath been four dayes dead and lies stinking in his grave Lazarus may be raised and the more putri'd I am in my corruptions the triumphs of the divine grace will be so much the more glorious in my restitution but it may be the last hour of the Day with mee before the Day-spring doth thus visit me In the mean while to shew my detestation of that arrogant doctrin of the Arminians I will not strive to do the least endeavour towards pietie lest by attributing some libertie to my self I should eclipse the glory of Gods grace which I acknowledge as well most free in her approaches as unresistible in her working I confess for the present my sins have brought such a damp upon my grieved spirit that he doth not afford m so much grace as to crie Abba Father Nevertheless I can call to minde I have sometimes heretofore had such heavenly motions and gratious inspirations in my heart as could be breathed from no other than the spirit of the Almighty hereby there hath been begotten in me a faith in Christ's merits not only true which can never be lost but so firm also that I am even now perswaded nothing shall be able to separate me from the love of God towards me in Christ Jesus This faith is rooted in a rock which all the powers of darkness are not able to root up though to your present apprehension for want of the fruits and blossomes of pietie and devotion it be as trees and herbs in winter which seem drie dead and withered but are not so Besides being one of God's Elect as every one is bound to believe according
over our rebellions and yet God hath been pleased out of his unsearchable wisdome and to shew his own dominion and liberty so to order the matter that although the word cannot really promote our spirituall good which is a work far above the spheare of it's power and activity yet receiving it in vain though it be not in our power confessedly to receive it otherwise it will aggravate our condemnation for this cause I think it prudent to avoid the certain danger with the no-probable-good that according to those principles of the Synod will accrew by it Mr. Narrowgrace If you be of that minde we must leave you to the mercy of God and the use of your own praiers which are the only reserve we can commend to your assistance and benefit Tilenus Carnalis Alas Sir you are as much out of the story now as ever for the grace of praier without which the duty will be a vain oblation if not abominable must be derived from the same supernal fountain and we cannot pump it up our selves it comes freely and when it comes it is so impetuous and overflows the soul with such inundations of the spirit that 't is impossible to resist it And since you see me altogether silent to this office you may conclude that this silence begins in heaven and that God will not have me pray in that he denies me his grace to that effect But Sir you do well to take your leave of me for it is evident that God hath not imploy'd you as intending my amendment by your ministery since I find the confusion of your doctrine more apt to furnish a cushion for the secure and areless or a halter for the doubtfull and depairing then any sacred Amulet against the charmes and poison of impicty And yet because when the wheel is once in motion a little strength will be sufficient to continue it and the fire is easily blown up after 't is once kindled therefore you may please to make your third experiment upon Tilenus Tepidus And I am affraid you can produce no argument to quicken his remisness into a more thorow pace of devotion which the dexterous use of that buckler of the Synods doctrine will not be able to put by Let us heare therefore how you will urge him to a further progresse in Pietie Mr. Efficax Do but reflect upon Peter's redoubled exhortation 2 Pet. 1. 4. He supposeth that they had escaped the foul corruption that is in the world through lust And besides this saith he giving all diligence add to your faith virtue c. and vers 10. give diligence to make your calling and election sure Tilenus Tepidus If S. Peter had understood our calling and election in the same sense the Synod understands them in his exhortation had been to little purpose For in that sense 't is as sure already as the wisedome trueth and power of God or the blood of Christ or the seales of the divine decrees can make it The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. It were arrogance to go about to lay any other foundation and a folly to imagine we are able to fortify it by our indeavours Mr. Simulans But Sir we should make a Conscience of the duty though there were no other necessity of it but necessitas praecepti because 't is the will of Almighty God Tilenus Tepidus I perceive Sir you have forgotten your own distinction though 't is so little while since you used it You told us God hath a two-fold will an outward revealed will and an inward secret will His outward will is signified by his commands but saith Piscator they are not properly God's will for sometimes he nills the fulfilling of them As for example Gen. 22. 2. with 12. He commanded Abraham to offer up Isaac yet he nill'd the execution of it but his secret will is the will of his good pleasure which he hath therefore decreed shall ever come to passe Whereupon one of your Divines concludes there is a kind of holy Simulation in God Vnde percipitur esse simulationem quandam sanctam c. Now whereas you urge me to give all diligence that I may grow in grace if this were the will of Gods Beneplaci ure he would move and impell me indeclinably to effect it but if it be onely his outward will and improperly so called Hee having by an irrevocable Decree predetermin'd my not doing of it though it be outwardly commanded then my not doing his outward will is the performance of his secret will and this being his proper will wherein consists his good pleasure my compliance therewith must needs be the more acceptable especially since to this he affords me his providential concurrence which he denies me towards the accomplishment of the other Mr. Knowlittle We are taught that there are degrees of glory One glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another of the starrs and so there shall be in heaven 1 Cor. 15. Now grant that you are secure as you presume as to the estate of glory yet you should be earnest in your endeavours to capacitate your self for the highest degrees of it Tilenus Tepidus There are some have made a question of those different degrees of glory In the parable every one at the end of the day received his penny as much they that wrought but one houre as they that had born the heat and burden of the day And the righteous shall all shine as the Sun in the kingdom of the Father and every one shall enter into the joy of the Lord which is fulnesse of joy But besides this if a sparrow falleth not to the ground without God's Providence and if the hairs of our heads be all numbred as our Saviour saith they are shall we not think as well that every degree of happinesse and every beam of glory and spark of joy are likewise apportioned and predetermined for all the Elect Dr. Absolute 'T is true the state of eternal bliss as to all the degrees of joy and glory in it is firmly and irreversibly decreed to all the Elect but yet through your remisness and especially if that betrayes you to any wasting sin you may damp your hopes and lose the sense and comfortable apprehension of the influences and effects thereof which you know was David's case Psal 6. O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure Have mercy upon me O LORD for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed My soul is also sore vexed but thou O Lord how long Return O Lord deliver my soul O save me for thy mercies sake and restore to me the joy of thy salvation Psal 51. For in death there is no remembrance of thee From hence you see there is ground enough for the Apostles exhortation Hebr. 6. 11. We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to
may lose their taste and relish as to sensible refreshment but not their real presence as influencing to Salvation Tilenus Tentatus Some comfortable apprehensions might be awakened and kindled in those bosomes that have been warmed with such sweet and heavenly experiences if they were not all overcast and darkned again by other black and dismal clouds which the observation of some of your greatest Divines have spread over them For Mr. Calvin himself Instit 1. 3. c. 2. § 10 11. saith The heart of man hath so many starting holes and secret corners of vanitie and lying and is cloathed with so many colours of guileful bypocrisie that it oftentimes deceiveth it self and besides experience sheweth that the Reprobates are sometimes moved with the same feelings that the Elect are so that in their own judgement they nothing differ from the Elect. See Heb. 6. 4 5. But the truth is though I have lived a good moral life hitherto and in a way of duty have had a comfortable dependence upon the mercy of God in Christ Jesus yet I am now affraid I have had none of those extraordinary snavities and refreshments of Gods spirit and consequently have no assurance of the presence of that comforter who is promised shall abide with us for ever Mr. Knowlittle You are to consider that all the Elect are not called at the same hour Tilenus Tentatus I should not stand upon the hour I could be content that God may take his own time to call me if you could in order to my present comfort insure me that I shall be called though it be but at the hour of death but this is that I am afraid you have no grounds for Mr. Take o'trust You may be confident that Christ is dead for you and that you have an interest in him so you can believe it Tilenus Tentatus I would desire to ask but these two questions 1. Whether this comfort be applicable to all and every sick and afflicted persons and 2. whether it be grounded upon the truth For if it be not to be applied unto all I may be amongst the excepted persons and so am not concerned in it or if it be not grounded upon the truth you offer me a delusion instead of comfort Mr. Take o'trust It is applicable unto all and every one and grounded upon the unquestionable truth of the Holy Gospel Tilenus Tentatus If it be applicable to all and every one as you affirm and grounded upon the truth that is as I conceive a rruth anâ—ecedent to their believing then it follows undeniably that Christ died for all in general and for every one in speciall else how can the comfort of this doctrin be so applied to them as you would have it But if your meaning be that it will become true to me or any other person that Christ died for us by that Act of faith which you would have me or any such other person give unto your speeches then you run into a manifest absurditie maintaining that the object of faith or the thing proposed to be believed doth receive its truth from the act of the believer and depend upon his consent whose faith and approbation can no more make true that which in it self is false then make false by his unbelief that which in it self is true Well may the Infidel deprive himself of the fruit of Christ's death but he cannot bring to pass by his unbelief that he hath not suffered it as a proofe of his love to mankinde On the other side the believer may receive benefit from the death of Christ but his act of faith doth not effect but necessarily suppose that death as suffered for him before it can be exercised about it or lay hold upon it Nay my believing is so far from procuring Christs death for me that on the contrary our great Divines do maintain quod nemo unquam fidem habeat nisi morte meritis Christi procuratam that I cannot have faith unless it be procured for me by the merits and death of Christ And because I cannot finde this faith in me I may conclude he hath not procured it for me and consequently that he hath not died for me neither and this you know is the ground of all my trouble Dr. Dubius Sir I wish you to take heed of that evil heart of unbelief as the Apostle calls it Heb. 3. and to that end remember the words of our Saviour John 3. ult He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Tilenus Tentatus Sir instead of lending me a clew to guide me out of that Maze of difficulties into which the prodigious Divinity of the Synod hath led me you intangle me much more in it For whereas the Apostle saith that God sends strong delusions to such as will not receive the love of the truth that they may be saved 2 Thes 2. You governing your discourse by those principles would first perswade men to believe a false proposition when you exhort every man to believe that Christ died for him which is false according to that Doctrin and then having believed this falshood they are punished by the spirit of errour to believe a lie I beseech you which way would you have me turn my self to get out of these perplexities Having instructed me to believe a doctrin that turns my obedience into punishment and makes my following the truth according to that Calculation the sure way to aggravate my damnation For if the Synod saith true and Christ be not dead for them that believe not in him how do they deserve to be punished for not believing that which is false And those that do obey the Commandement and believe in his death though but for a time why suffer they the punishment due only to the refractory and incredulous which is to believe a lie Mr. Knowlittle Sir you must not think to beguile us with your vain Philosophie we are too well established in these saving truths to be perverted by such Sophistrie Tilenus If you have no better Cordials for afflicted Consciences nor firmer props to support the necessitie of your ministerie than what the doctrins of the Synod will afford you I am afraid the most vulgar capacities will finde Logick enough to conclude from the premises that your office is altogether useless and impertinent Laying aside therefore the person of the Infidel Carnal Tepid and Afflicted whose parts I have hitherto acted to make a practical trial of the efficacie of your ministery upon them according to the tenour and consequences of those doctrins I beseech you sadly to reflect upon what hath already pass'd betwixt and consider further what a vertiginous spirit presided in that Synod that led those Divines Maugre all the reason to the contrary to denie some things which the Scripture expresly doth affirm and to affirm other things which the Scripture doth as
Rev 22. 15. See the place Ephes 5. 5 6. Because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Be not deceived the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God See Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Luke 13. 3 5. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Iohn 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather then light 2 Thes 1. 7 8. The Lord shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance of them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ See Mat. 13. 41 42 49 50. Chap. 25. 41 43. Wherefore if thine eye offend thee c. Mark 9. 43. to 49. See Heb. 11. 6. Ch. 12. 14. Rev. 21. the last Ezek. 18. 26. Mat. 3. 10 12. Chap. 5. 20. III. And because sinful man could not possibly of himself by his natural abilitie believe in this Redeemer and persevere in such faith he decreed to afford man means sufficient and necessary as he saw befitting his own wisdome and justice for the working of faith and repentance whereby man might be inabled to believe or more and more prepared and in certain steps or degrees brought on at length to true faith Proofes out of Scripture Not of himself c. Mat 6. 27. Which of you by taking thought can adde one Cubit unto his stature Iob 9. 19 20. If I speak of strength loe he is strong Hos 13. 9. Thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help Isa 43. 1. c. 45. 21. I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour Prov. 3. 5. Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not to thine own understanding Isa 5. 21. ch 31. 1. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes but look not unto the holy one of Israel neither seek the Lord. Not believe by his natural ability c. Rom. 5. 6. ch 8. 3. Without strength See a Cor. 4. 6. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves See Rom. 11. 32. Gal. 3. 22. Ioh. 3. 3 5. Mat. 12. 33 35. Make the tree good and then the fruit good 1 Cor. 3. 4. God giveth the increase Phil. 1. 29. Vnto you it is given Act. 16. 14. Whose heart the Lord opened Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe See Ezek. 36. 22. Mat. 16. 17. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee Lam. 1. 17. Every good gift is from above c. Joh. 6. 44 65. Except the father draw him Mat. 11. 27. Neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him John 15. 5. Without me ye can doe nothing 1 Cor. 12. 3. No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Eph. 2. 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God See Rom. 4. 16. ch 5. 15. c. ch 6. 23. 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the grace of God I am what I am Gal. 2. 20. 2 Pet. 1. 1 3. Who have obtained like precious faith with us according as his divine power hath given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness Eph. 3. 14. c. ch 6. 23. Rev. 1. 4. Grace and peace from God the Father c. 1 Cor. 1. 3. He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. See Rom. 1. 8. 1 Pet. 1. 3. Nor persevere in such c. Ioh. 15. 5. He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing Heb. 12. 2. Jesus the author and finisher of our faith 2 Thess 2. 16 17. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and given us everlasting Consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and worke 1 Pet. 5. 10. The God of all grace make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you See Ephesians 3. 14. c. Phil. 1. 6. Hebr. 13. 20. Means sufficient and necessary c. Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son See Rom. 10. 14. c. 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. Isa 59. last How shall he not with him also freely give us all things Eph. 1. 3. He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Isa 49 6 8 9. ch 42. 7. That thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth To open the blinde eyes to bring out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house I will give thee for a Covenant to the people To perform the promise that he would grant unto us a Power that we might serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life S. Luke 1 72 to 76. 2 Pet. 1. 3. His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godlinesse Mat. 25. 14 15 27 29. He gave unto them his talents Mat. 13. 11 12. To you it is given to know Act. 2. 4 5 39 41. The promise is to you and your children Luke 10. 9. The kingdome of God is come nigh unto you Isa 65. 1. Rom. 10. 20. I was made manifest to them that enquired not after me Tit. 2. 11 12. ch 3. 5 6. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men hath appeared the renewing of the holy Ghost which is shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour See Hebr. 4. 12. 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. Iam. 1. 18. 1 Cor. 4. 15. Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace Mar. 4. 23 24 25. Luke 8. 18. To him that hath shall be given Iohn 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine Luke 11. 13. Act. 5. 32. He will give the holy Spirit to them that aske and obey him Isa 5. 4. What could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it Heb. 12. 28. wherefore let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear IIII. Whence ariseth the last decree concerning the salvation of this or that man in particular who by these means should be brought unto faith and persevere therein this being the condition required in every one that is to be elected unto eternal life and the consideration of this or that man in particular who should die in unbelief Proofes out of Scripture The condition required in every one that is to be elected c. Iam. 2. 5. Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith 2 Thess 2. 13 14. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth c. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Mark 13. 20 Elect according to
4 5. He sent out his servants saying All things are ready coms unto the marriage But they made light of it Luke 10. 16. 1 Thes 4. 8. He that despiseth you despiseth me he despiseth not man but God who hath given us of his spirit Mat. 23. 37. Luke 13. 34. How often would I have gathered thy children and ye would not John 5. 34 40. These things have I spoken that ye might be saved And ye will not come to me that ye might have life Prov. 1. 24. c. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and ye regarded not c. Rom. 2. 4 5. Despisest thou the riches of his geodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Isa 63. 10. They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit See Zach. 7. 11 12 13. Acts 5. 7 51. Ye have alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost and done despight to the spirit of grace Heb. 10. 29. And rejected the Counsel of God against themselves Luke 7. 30. turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness Jude ep v. 4. We then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain 2 Cor. 6. 1. Heb. 12. 15. Looking diligently ne quis desit gratiae Dei lest any man be wanting to the grace of God See Psal 78. 40. c. 2 Cor. 3. 15. chap. 4. 4. Also see the Reason of the second Negative following See Exod. 21. 5 6. compared with Isa 61. 1 2. Rom. 6. 14 16. V. They hold that though grace be dispensed in differing measure according to Gods most free will yet on all those to whom the word of faith is preached the Holy spirit bestows or is ready to bestow so much grace as is sufficient in fitting degrees to bring on their conversion Proofs out of Scripture In differing measure c. Heb. 1. 1 2. God who at sundry times and in diverse manners hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his son Mat. 12. 4. A greater than Jonas is here Iohn 10. 10. I came that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly Heb. 2. 2 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Mat. 25. 15. To one he gave five talents to another two to another one 1 Cor. 12. 4. There are diversities of gifts 1 Pet. 4. 10. The grace of God is manifold Ephes 4. 16. According to the effectual working in the measure of every part Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in the faith receive you 1 Cor. 8. 7. There is not in every man that knowledge So much grace as is sufficient c. Acts 3. 26. God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ is made unto us wisdome and righteousness and sanctification and redemption Tit. 2. 11 12 See 2 Chron. 24. 19. The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men c. Acts 26. 18. To whom I send thee to open their eyes to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance c. 2 Cor. 3. 5 6. Our sufficiency is of God who also hath made us able Ministers not of the letter but of the spirit Mat. 28. 19 20. Go ye and teach and loe I am with you Mat. 18. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 20. Now then we are ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 6. 1. receive not the grace of God in vain In fitting degrees c. St. Mark 4 33. With many such parables spake he the word unto them as they were able to hear it Mat. 25. 15. And delivered to his servants his talents to every one according to his several abilitie Agreeable to his capacitie and competent to his office and imployment and the exigence of business intrusted to him of his Lord see Heb. 5. 13 14. Prov. 4. 18. The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Mat. 13. 12. For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance Luke 16. 10 11 12. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches And if ye have not been faithful in that which is anothers who shall give you that which is your own If you be not faithful in the use of things temporal how shall God intrust you with things heavenly and spiritual Wherefore let us have grace hold it fast by imploying it whereby we may serve God acceptably Heb. 12. 2. 8. and grow in it 2 Pet. 3. 18. VI. They hold that a man by the grace of the holy spirit may do more good then indeed he doth and omit more evil than indeed he omitteth Proofs out of Scripture Iohn 15. 22 24. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak excuse for their sin If I had not done among them the works which none other man did they had not had sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my father Acts 17. 30. 1 King 21. 25. Zach. 1. 15. The times of this ignorance God winked at Deut. 30. 14. with Rom. 10. 6 8. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise the word is very nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it Iohn 8. 32. with 36. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is libertie Rom. 6. 18. Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness Rev. 3. 8. Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my name Phil. 4. 13. I am able to do all things through Christ which strengthneth me Matthew 11. 21 23. If the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Tyre Sidon or Sodom they would have repented See the 4. negative propositions VII They hold that whomsoever God calls unto salvation he calleth him seriously that is with a sincere and unfeigned intention and will to save him Proofes out of Holy Scripture 1. His command Acts 17. 30. But now he commandeth All men every where to repent 2. His invitations 2 Chron. 36. 14 15 16. See 2 Chron. 24. 19. And the Lord sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes and sending Mat. 22. 2 4. c. Luke 14. 21. And he sent out his servants and he sent other servants saying go